DMK to contest 20 seats in TN

The DMK on Tuesday finalized seats sharing with its allies under which it will contest 20 out of 39 Lok Sabha seats from Tamil Nadu, excluding the lone Puducherry seat which it has given to the Congress.

The alliance was finalized after the CPIM and the Marumalarchi came on board by signing agreement at Anna Arivalayam. Talking to reporters, DMK president M K Stalin said the Congress had been nine seats, four to the two communist parties, two to the VCK, one plus one Rajya Sabha seat to the Marumalarchi DMK and one each to the Indian Union Muslim League, the Kongu Vella Makkal Katchi and the Indian Democratic Party, totaling 19 from Tamil Nadu. The remaining 20 seats will be available to the DMK.

It has given the lone Puducherry seat to the Congress which won in the last election. The AIADMK leading the rival front has also given the Puducherry seat to its ally, the N Rangasamy Congress Party.

Talking to reporters after signing the agreement with DMK president M KStalin at Anna Arivalayam, CPM State secretary S Balakrishnan said though they wanted three seats they settled for two as their larger objective to defeat the BJP in alliance with the DMK and the Congress.

He said his party would support the alliance in Puducherry, which is a Congress seat, as well in the 21 Assembly by-elections.

Vaiko also said he was happy with the deal and his party would wholeheartedly work fo r the success of the DMK-led alliance in the Lok Sabha. If 21 by-elections were held along with the Lok Sabha polls, it would support the DMK, he said. Balakrishnan also extended the support to the DMK in the bypolls whenever held.

Stalin decided not to wait for the Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam . Its founder leader and actor Vijayakanth held a meeting with functionaries at his office in Chennai on Tuesday on seats shearing with the AIADMK-BJP front.

The AIADMK has been equally liberal in seats allocation in order to build a rainbow coalition. It has given seven seats plus one Rajya Sabha seat to the PMK, five to the BJP, and one to the Puthiya Tamizhagam .

It is keeping 26 seats in its hands to meet the DMDK demand of plus or minus seven seats. Now that the DMK has decided to contest 20 seats, the AIADMK may keep that many seats with itself and give the DMDK six.